70% of chronic patients willing to use telemedicine - study

Tuesday 29 October 2013 | 13:38 CET | News

Around 70 percent of patients and 80 percent of health professionals in Spain would be willing to use telemedicine if it were available to them, according to a study conducted by Telefonica and
IESE Business School. Telemedicine or Remote Patient Management (RPM) is a system that allows patients to monitor their health from home and share the results in real time with their doctors. The study is the first of its kind in Spain and reflects the views of nearly 1,800 people, including chronic patients (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and medical professionals across Spain (general practitioners, specialists and nurses) in both the public and private sectors.

Currently, only 31 percent of doctors know exactly what RPM is, but nearly nine out of 10 professionals feel that RPM can improve the quality of care thanks to early detection of changes in patient conditions and reduction of crowding at hospitals. However, the lack of patient access to technology and lack of technological training is a major concern for 80 percent of health professionals, as is the reduction in personal contact with patients. This lack of contact with physicians is also the main concern of patients, although most would be comfortable using videoconferencing. On average, only 16 percent of patients surveyed said they would refuse to use the system if it were offered.

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